Bolt's Christmas Carol
by bolt fan 21
Summary: After getting stuck in the pound two days before Christmas, Bolt's great grandson Maximus and his new friends must help a bitter stray named Brundun embrace his kinder side and get adopted before Christmas.
1. Chapter 1

Bolt's Christmas Carol.

By Bolt Fan 21.

Author's note: This is my third annual Bolt Christmas special. I'm going to post one chapter every day until Christmas. This first chapter is set on December 21, 2011 in a small town near Holly Wood. I don't own Bolt or any of the characters from the movie.

Chapter 1: Christmas competition.

Maximus's point of view.

Hello, my name is Maximus Fletcher. My father is Milo Fletcher, grandson of the legendary Bolt the Super Dog, and the star of Bolt The Super Dog: The Next Generation. My mother also happens to be his co-star Daisy. This is the story of how I spent the two days before Christmas in the pound, and helped a group of strays find homes.

It all started three days before Christmas when I was helping decorate Penny's house for Christmas. "Maximus can you hand me that German Shepherd ornament?" My great grandfather Bolt asked me.

"This one?" I asked Bolt.

"Yes that's the one, thanks Maximus." Bolt told me.

Just then, Penny and her boy friend Max walked through the door. Following them was Max's eleven year old sister Lillian.

"Lillian you're here! I've missed you." I barked as I jumped up trying to get her attention.

"Hey Maxie! How's my favourite puppy today?" Lillian asked me.

"I'm doing awesome!" I barked.

"I brought you a treat Maxie! Okay sit, (Maximus sits down.) roll over, (Maximus rolls over.) reach for the sky Maxie (Maximus stands on his hind legs and puts both front paws in the air.) play dead Maximus. (Maximus pretends to get shot and dies a dramatic fake death.) Good boy, here you go." Lillian told me before tossing me a treat.

"I hope that when I get a pet, I'll get one as fun as you Maximus." Lillian giggled.

"What kind of pet are you hoping for Lillian?" Penny asked Lillian.

"I want an Orange Tabby kitten." Lillian replied.

"I hope you get one, I remember when I got Bolt, he was my first pet." Penny told Lillian.

"Thanks Penny." Lillian replied.

"You're welcome." Penny told her. a moment later I heard the sound of bells in the next room.

"Santa already?" I asked my father Milo.

"Probably not yet Maximus. Christmas Eve is in three days." My dad replied. Just then, my twin sister Star entered the room.

"Hey Maximus check out my new jingle bell collar." Star told me, while shaking hear head so the bells would jingle.

"So Santa's not here?" I asked Star.

"Nope, just your older sister Star." Star replied. Star is older than me by two minutes.

"Hey Maximus! Look what I got for you!" Penny chimed in from the next room.

"Oh boy! What is it?" I barked excitedly.

"It's you're very own pair of Wonder Bolt Goggles. I knew how much you liked them." Penny told me, before placing the goggles on my head.

"Awesome! Thank you so much Penny!" I barked.

"Glad you like them Maximus." Penny giggled.

"Mom can I go test them out? I asked my mother.

"Sure Maximus, just be home before dark." My mom told me.

"Thanks mom!" I replied.

"You're welcome Maximus." My mom said.

So I ran outside as fast as I could. I may not be a Pegasus like the Wonder Bolts, but I'm the fastest puppy in town. "Here comes the newest Wonder Bolt, Maximus Alexander Fletcher. He is the first non-Pegasus member of the Wonder Bolts." I narrated.

"Who are you talking to?" Some one behind me asked. I turned around to see a beautiful Irish Setter puppy.

"Oh no one in particular." I replied sheepishly.

"Oh, that's okay I talk to myself some times too. I'm Melody by the way." Melody told me.

"I'm Maximus, nice to meet you Melody." I replied.

"Nice Wonder Bolt goggles." Melody told me.

"Thanks, I thought I was the only one who knew what these were." I chuckled.

"Are you kidding? I love My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic." Melody replied.

"You watch My Little Pony? What a wimp!" A voice behind me mocked. I looked behind me and saw a Dalmatian puppy that was about a head taller than me.

"Excuse me for answering a question with a question, but who are you?" I asked the Dalmatian.

"My name's Bullet, but every one calls me "Hot Shot". Who are you?" Bullet asked me.

"I'm Maximus." I told Bullet.

"Maximus? Isn't that the name of the horse on Tangled?" Bullet asked me mockingly.

"So what if it is?" I asked Bullet.

"It's kind of a girly name, unlike Bullet." Bullet taunted.

"I could take you any time any day." I told Bullet.

"Challenge accepted! Let the games begin." Bullet replied.

"Maximus you don't have to do this." Melody told me.

"I have to prove that I'm not a wimp. I'm doing this for you Melody." I told Melody.

"Then it's settled. Tomorrow morning at 10:00 we will have a race. Winner gets the loser's collar. Do you agree to this deal?" Bullet asked me.

"I accept your challenge Bullet." I told Bullet.

"Then let's shake on it." Bullet said, before spitting on his paw and holding it forward. I thought it was barbaric, but I spit on my paw as well and shook paws with Bullet.

So, we drew up a map of the race's course. "The race starts here, at me house. Then we continue down to the mud hole for tug of war. Next we'll head to the lake, grab a rock and take it to the play ground. At the play ground you have to put the rock down then run down the teeter totter, and then go down the slide. After that we run past the bakery and toy store, before turning around and going back to the starting line." Bullet explained.

"Sounds good to me." I told Bullet.

"And one last thing, neither one of us is allowed to wear a collar during this race." Bullet added.

"Okay, I guess that's fair." I replied.

"Then it's settled, we'll meet here at 9:40 tomorrow morning. My house is right across the street." Bullet told me.

"Agreed. Melody would you like to be a judge for the race?" I asked Melody.

"Sure Maximus." Melody replied.

"Melody! Time to come home!" Melody's owner called.

"That's my owner, I better get home." Melody told us.

"Bullet! Dinner time!" Bullet's owner yelled.

"Yeah my human is calling me too. See you guys tomorrow." Bullet replied.

"Bye guys," I replied. So I walked home and found my family in the living room watching a movie.

"Hey dad, what are we watching?" I asked my dad.

"The version of a Christmas Carol that Disney made." My dad replied.

"I've never seen that movie, what is it about?' I asked dad.

"It's about a guy named Ebenezer Scrooge that hates Christmas and gets haunted by three ghosts." Star replied.

"Sounds good, can I watch it too?" I asked dad.

"Sure Maximus." Dad replied. After we finished watching a Christmas Carol and had dinner, it was time for bed. Little did I know that a Christmas Carol was going to have an impact on my life.

Author's note: Hope every one enjoyed the first chapter of Bolt's Christmas Carol. Thanks to every one who reads and or reviews my stories. I'll try to answer reviews tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Maximus's point of view.

The next morning I woke up and started getting ready for the race. To get motivated I sang various songs..

"This is going on You Tube!" Star sang to the same tune.

"Star! What is it going to take to get you to delete that video?" I asked Star.

"Take me with you to the race." Star replied.

"Deal! Did you take any more videos?" I asked Star.

"Just a video of you singing "Any Thing You Can Do I Can Do Better" in front of the mirror." Star chuckled.

"For that I'll let you be the announcer." I groaned.

"Awesome It's a deal!" Star cheered. After we were done in the bed room, we went into the living room.

"Hey Maximus, where are you going?" Mittens asked me.

"Just for a run." I replied.

"Okay have fun." Mittens replied.

"Thanks auntie Mittens." I told Mittens.

"You're welcome Maximus." Mittens replied. My dad was the next to enter the room.

"Dad, Star and I are going for a run." I told my dad, while grabbing my Wonder Bolt goggles.

"Okay but be home by 10:40 AM for breakfast." Dad replied.

"We will dad I promise." I told my father.

"Come on Maximus!" Star pleaded.

"Okay Star. See you later dad." I told my dad.

"Bye Maximus." My dad replied. A couple minutes later we made it to the starting line of the race.

"There's pony boy! Maxi-Crash I thought you'd never make it!" Hot Shot taunted.

"Of course he made it! My brother Maximus never backs down." Star told Hot Shot.

"Oh and you brought your sister! (Bullet laughs.) That's funny. I'm Bullet, but you can call me Hot Shot." Hot Shot told Star.

"Oh I know all about you because Maximus-" Star began to say before I cut her off.

"I've been telling her about how I'm going to win this race all morning, right Star?" I asked Star, and she nodded.

"I'm going to be the announcer!" Star told Hot Shot proudly.

"Is that so? (Star nods.) Well good luck with that I guess." Hot Shot replied.

"Thanks, I guess." Star replied.

"Star you're on my side remember?" I asked Star.

"I'm on your side for sure, I just got distracted." Star replied. Seconds later, melody joined us.

"Ready for the race?" Melody asked us.

"Absolutely!" Me, Star, and Hot Shot said at the exact same time.

"Awesome! I'll put the starting line here." Melody told us, while drawing a line in the dirt.

"Sounds good to me." I replied.

"Now we need to take off our collars." Hot Shot added, while slipping his collar off.

"Okay." I told Hot Shot, while unbuckling my collar.

"I guess you can keep those goggles on." Hot Shot replied.

"Oh good, I didn't want them to get lost." I told Hot Shot.

"Alright boys, you know the course and and the rules. First one back gets to keep the loser's collar. Have fun and be safe." Melody told us.

"May the best pet win." Star chimed in.

"Oh don't worry, I will." Hot Shot retorted, and Star, Melody, and I glared at Bullet.

"Maximus and Bullet, get to the starting line." Star told us, and we went to the starting line.

"On your marks, get set, and go!" Melody told us, and we sped off.

As I race towards the mud hole, which was the first stop during the race, I could feel the wind in my fur. I looked next to me and saw Hot Shot.

"See you later Maxi-Crash." Hot Shot taunted. A couple minutes later we made it to the mud hole for tug of war. There was a ratty old rope next.

"And here we have Hot Shot beating Maximus by a tail. Now both competitors are here for the tug of war. Here we see Maximus removing his goggles and getting a bad case of goggle hair." Star narrated.

"Star cut it out!" I yelled embarrassedly.

"Let's go ahead and do tug of war , okay boys?" Melody asked us.

"Okay Melody." We replied. Much to my irritation, I lost tug of war and got covered from head to toe in mud.

"Ugh! This did not turn out the way it was supposed to!" I groaned.

"Here's your goggles." Star told me, while putting the goggles on for me.

"Thanks Star." I replied before running off. Next we headed to the pond, and dove under water to retrieve a rock. Luckily it washed of a little bit of the mud.

Five minutes into the race we made it to the the play ground. I was glad that Lillian had taught me how to army crawl when I had to across the teeter totter. Luckily because of his size, Bullet managed to get stuck under the handle for a minute. I managed to beat him to the slide and was in the lead for a minute or so. Then something unexpected happened.

"Hello little stray." A large dog catcher told me. Suddenly, he grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and put some kind of leash and collar combination thing on me.

"Star! Melody! Some one help!" I barked. It was no use, they were too far ahead. I would have asked Bullet for help, but I seriously doubt he'd help me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bullet.

"Bullet thank goodness you're here! Help me." I begged Bullet.

"And risk losing the race? No way! See ya later!" Bullet barked.

"Off to the pound with you pup. Hope you can find a home by Christmas." The dog catcher told me, while placing my in a cage in the truck.

"I have a home! I was framed! Let me go!" I barked frantically. It was no use, I was going to the pound


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Meeting Lucky.

Maximus's point of view.

Roughly ten minutes later we arrived at the pound. "Come on puppy, let's go inside." The dog catcher told me.

"I guess I have no other choice." I sighed. So the dog catcher took me inside.

"Found this little guy near the park. He doesn't have a collar, just these goggles." The dog catcher told the lady at the front desk.

"So he doesn't have a name?" The lady asked the dog catcher.

"Maximus, I'm Maximus!" I barked.

"Not that I know of." The dog catcher replied.

"Let's just call him Dash." The lady told the dog catcher.

"Dash? Really is that what you're going to call me?" I groaned.

"Dash it is then. Come on Dash, let's get you settled in." The dog catcher told me. As we walked into the room with all the dogs and cats, I took time to look at all of them.

First up was a dark Grey female cat. In the cage across from her was a black male Husky, who was watching us walk by. In the cage next to the husky was a angry looking German Shepherd Rottweiller mix. Across from the German Shepherd Rottweiller mix was a female Border collie mix with a red bandanna.

In the cage next to the Border Collie mix were two energetic Husky mix brothers. Across from the twins was a very large Dalmatian lab mix who was almost as round as he was tall. Across from the large Dalmatian mix was what looked like an empty cage. The last cage on the left had two hyper Calico kittens. I found out later that they were twin sisters.

Last cage on the right had a elegant looking Cocker Spaniel mix. "Alright Dash, here's your cage." The dog catcher told me before putting me in the empty cage.

"Looks like I have my own cage." I thought aloud. Suddenly I noticed that the blanket in the corner was trembling. I decided to go check it out. I lifted the blanket a little bit and saw two frightened sky blue eyes looking back at me.

"Hey little guy, it's okay you can come out now. I won't hurt you I promise." I told the frightened creature. The only answer I got was tiny frightened squeaky noises from who ever was hiding under the blanket. "It's okay, I'm just as scared as you are. Come on out, I just want to be friends." I told the timid little animal.

Suddenly, a small tabby kitten poked her head out from under the blanket, then quickly retreated back under the blanket. "Is he gone?" The kitten asked me.

"Is who gone?" I asked the kitten.

"The monster." The kitten replied nervously.

"I haven't seen any monsters. Just the dog catcher that brought me here. The humans aren't in here right now." I told the kitten.

"That was Toby, he's nice. I'm talking about the scary monster with the weird eyes." The kitten explained. I realised she was talking about my Wonder Bolt goggles.

"Oh I'm sorry, are my goggles scaring you? Here I'll put them on top of my head." I told the kitten. Carefully, the kitten came out from under the blanket. She was a very small orange Tabby kitten. I noticed she was limping.

"That's better. I'm Lucky by the way." Lucky told me.

"I'm Maximus. What is this place?" I asked Lucky.

"This is the pound, it's where the animals with out owners live." Lucky told me.

"You guys don't have owners?" I asked Lucky, and she shook her head.

"No one wants me because of my bad leg." Lucky told me sadly.

"Lucky, I think I know some one that would love to have you for a pet." I told Lucky.

"Really?" Lucky asked me.

"My owner Penny has a friend named Lillian that really wants an orange Tabby kitten." I told Maximus.

"Really?" Lucky asked me.

"Yes for sure! You'll love Lillian, she's one of the nicest people I know." I told Lucky.

"I really hope she'll adopt me." Lucky told me.

"I hope so too Lucky." I told Lucky.

"Will you two keep it down!" The angry looking German Shepherd Rottweiller mix yelled.

"Don't take it personally Maximus, he's always like this. I'm Charlie by the way." The Scruffier of the two Calico sisters told me.

"Nice to meet you Charlie. I wish we could do something to cheer him up." I told Charlie.

Author's note: Looks like Maximus made a couple friends. Now to answer 2 reviews.

Lance Wing: Yes, Bullet is kinda selfish.

Maximus: Just kinda?

Okay Bullet really needs to get his priorities straight. Yes Maxi-Crash is a spoof of Rainbow Crash nice job catching that. Thanks for reviewing.

Mike 101: I promise that I will finish this one. I will update Sorcerer's Apprentice some time after Christmas. Glad you've enjoyed my stories. Thanks for reviewing.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Meeting the pound gang.

Maximus's point of view.

So, Lucky and Charlie introduced me to the rest of the animals. "So, this is my older twin sister Arlene." Charlie told me, as her twin sister Arlene walked over to join us.

"Nice to meet you Arlene." I told Arlene.

"It's nice to meet you too Maximus. I love your goggles by the way. They make a great accessory." Arlene told me.

"Oh, thanks Arlene." I replied.

"You're welcome Maximus." Arlene told me.

"Hi Maximus, I'm Jink." Jink, who was the scruffier of the twin huskies, told me.

"Hi Jink, it's nice to meet you." I told Jink.

"Hello, I'm Jink's brother Scooter." Scooter told me

"Hi Scooter, I'm Maximus." I told Scooter.

"It's great to meet you Maximus." Scooter told me.

"Hello Maximus, I'm Amelia. You can call me Amy though." Amelia the Cocker Spaniel mix told me.

"Hello Amelia, it's a pleasure to meet you.

"Pleasure to meet you too Maximus.

"Hi Maximus, I'm Big Dipper." Big Dipper, who was a rather large Dalmatian mix, told me.

"Nice to meet you Big Dipper." I replied.

"Hello, I'm Rose." The Border Collie mix told me.

"Hi Rose, it's nice to meet you." I replied.

"Nice to meet you too Maximus." Rose told me.

"What does a dog have to do to get some sleep in this place?" The German Shepherd Rottweiller mix snarled.

"And Mr Grumpy over there is Brundun." Charlie whispered to me.

"Oh, so that's what his name is." I replied. The black Husky has the next to last to speak up.

"Hi, I'm Cricket." Cricket told me.

"Hello Cricket, I'm Maximus." I replied. Last person to introduce themselves was the dark Grey cat.

"Hello Maximus, I'm Jackie." Jackie told me.

"Hi Jackie, it's nice to meet you." I replied.

"Nice to meet you too Maximus." Jackie replied.

"So every one here is waiting to be adopted?" I asked Jackie.

"Yes, we're just waiting to find the right owners." Jackie replied.

"Scooter, Cricket, and I would like to be adopted by the leader of a snow team." Jink told me.

"I want to be adopted by some one who likes to have fun. I'd like to stay with my sister Arlene though." Charlie explained.

"I want my human to be neat, tidy, and to like to dress nicely." Arlene explained.

"I'm not picky about humans, but I've always dreamed about being a movie star." Amelia told me.

"I'd like to live some where that always has lot's of food." Big Dipper added.

"I'd kinda like to live on a farm." Rose explained.

"I want all of you to get adopted so I can get some sleep!" Brundun yelled.

"Like Amelia I'm not picky either. I just want a nice loving family." Jackie told me.

"I'd like an owner that doesn't mind that I have a bad leg." Lucky added.

"What about you Maximus?" Scooter asked me.

"I already have my perfect owner. Her name is Penny. I got separated from her because of a show off dog named Bullet. I hope I can get home for Christmas." I told every one.

"I hope you get to go home to her. She sounds nice." Lucky told me.

"Thanks Lucky. I promise I'm going to do my best to get all of you adopted before Christmas." I told Lucky.

Bullet's point of view.

At precisely 10:30, I made it to the finish line. "You won Bullet! But where's Maximus?" Melody asked me. I knew I had to think of a lie and fast.

"Oh he didn't tell you? He dropped out of the race. Guess he just couldn't handle the pressure." I lied, and Maximus's sister glared at me.

"Are you sure? That sounds like a lie." Star replied.

"I'm positive. Guess that makes me the winner." I told Star, and she hesitantly gave me the collar.

"Congratulations Bullet. I better get home, my owner must be worried about me." Melody told me.

"Bye Melody." I told Melody.

"Bye Bullet and Star." Melody replied. After Melody left, I noticed that Star was still giving me a death glare.

"What?" I asked Star.

"I swear if you're lying, Bullet, You will be sorry." Star hissed.

"What are you going to do? Round up your little girly girl friends and cute me to death? You can't hurt me, you're as pitiful as your brother." I told Star.

"If I were you, I'd sleep with one eye open tonight." Star growled.

"Whatever you say Star." I taunted.

Author's note: Bullet sure is mean. Now to answer a review.

Mike 101: I haven't really thought about that much. I bet he'll find a way out of it. Thanks for reviewing.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The plan.

Maximus's point of view.

Because we didn't want to anger Brundun, we all went outside to fenced in area behind the cages. "It's nice to get out of the cage." Jink told us.

"Got to agree with you on that Jink." Cricket told Jink.

"Beats being indoors, doesn't it Arlene?" Charlie asked her sister.

"Ugh! It's muddy out here!" Arlene groaned.

"Hate to break it to you sis, but we're out side. There's going to be mud." Charlie told Arlene.

"I guess I can live with it. It's just uncouth!" Arlene replied.

"What does uncouth mean?" Lucky asked me.

"Uncivilised, lacking manners, unrefined." Jackie told Lucky.

"Oh, okay." Lucky replied.

"Hey Maximus, is something bothering you?" Rose asked me.

"I was just thinking. Brundun seems really unhappy. I wish we could cheer him up." I told Rose.

"Maybe if he was happier, he could find a nice home." Lucky suggested.

"That's a good idea guys." Scooter replied.

"But how could we cheer him up?" Jink asked me.

"I think he needs a snack." Big Dipper suggested.

"That's a good idea, but what else could we do?" I asked every one.

"We could figure out what made him so unhappy. It might be from his puppy hood." Jackie suggested.

"That's it Jackie! We should do what they did on a Christmas Carol!" I told Jackie.

"What's that?" Lucky asked me.

"Oh yeah I saw that movie last Christmas when I was a puppy. This grumpy old guy named Ebenezer Scrooge gets haunted by three ghosts. Actually I guess it's four ghosts if you count the ghost of his dead business partner Jacob Marley. They take him to see his past, present, and future. At the end he changes his ways and loves Christmas." Cricket explained.

"That's a great idea! But who should be the ghosts?" Rose asked us.

"Well Brundun and I had the same owner for a year, until our owner had to move, so I guess I could be the Jacob Marley type ghost." Cricket explained.

"Okay how about the ghost of Christmas past?" I asked every one.

"I volunteer Lucky!" Charlie cheered.

"Is that okay with you Lucky?" I asked Lucky.

"Sure! I just want Brundun to be happy." Lucky told me.

"Okay then it's settled, Lucky is the ghost of Christmas past." Rose replied.

"I volunteer to be the ghost of Christmas present!" Charlie told us.

"Is every one okay with that?" I asked every one, and they all nodded.

"Yes! I get to be Ghost of Christmas present!" Charlie cheered.

"Maximus it was you that had the idea, you can be the ghost of Christmas future." Scooter told me.

"Are you guys sure?" I asked every one, and they all nodded.

"Well I guess it's settled then. We'll start after the humans leave." Rose replied.

Star's point of view.

After the whole ordeal with Bullet (that big dumb meanie!) I ran home to see if Maximus was at home. "Maximus, are you here?" I asked as soon as I walked in the door.

"I thought he was with you." Mom replied.

"Bullet said he came home." I told mom.

"Bullet? That bratty little Dalmatian that lives down the street?" Dad asked me.

"Yeah that's the one." I replied.

"I know his grand father Declan as well, he's even worse." Grandpa Bolt told me.

"Well if Maximus isn't here, that means Bullet lied! Oh when I get my paws on him!" I growled.

"Calm down Star, I'm sure Maximus will be home soon." Mom told me.

"Okay mom." I replied. I still wanted to strangle Bullet, but I knew it wouldn't be the right thing to do.

Author's note: Looks like Bullet's going to get it. I'll try to answer reviews tomorrow.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5: Field trip to the break room.

Maximus's point of view.

So after the pound closed and the humans went home, I went to work trying to break out of my cage. "Do you need any help?" Lucky asked me, as I tried to scale the left side of the cage.

"Can you move that dog bed over here?just in case I fall." I told Lucky. With some difficulty, Lucky moved the bed over to where I was."Thanks Lucky." I told Lucky.

"You're welcome." Lucky replied.

"Maximus I could go unlock mine then unlock yours in no time. Are you sure you don't need help?" Jink asked me.

"I think I'm good." I told Jink.

"Let's cheer him on. Go Maximus go! Go Maximus go!" Charlie cheered, and every one but Brundun joined her. At last the door to my cage swung open.

"Oh yeah!" I woofed in triumph.

"Way to go Maximus! You're like the cage master!" Scooter cheered. So I freed every one but Brundun. (What I was worried he would maul me.

"Where are we going?" Big Dipper asked me.

"Break room. I passed it when they brought me in. They were making treats, so there must be more flour." I explained.

"Do you think it has a TV?" Cricket asked me.

"Yeah I think I saw one." I replied. Sure enough it did have a TV. We decided to watch something.

"There's no truck that I know that can keep in Bolt and Rhino!" A Hamster that looked and sounded like my uncle Rhino said on TV.

"What else is on?" Scooter asked us, before changing the channel.

"It's got my name written all over it. Well, not literally, but give me time and a crayon." The Eleventh Doctor said on TV.

"What, no David Tennant?" Jackie asked us, before changing the channel.

"Transformers! Robots in disguise!" The announcer on TV sang.

"Not another toy commercial!" Rose groaned. So we turned the channel.

"Minty fell on the ground! Now Minty's covered in poo!" Some one on Conan sang.

"How childish!" Arlene scoffed, before quickly changing the channel.

"Gus, a boy cat would never serve my purposes nearly as well. Next time I need you, Pickles is having kittens." Shawn said on TV.

"Well that was random." Lucky told us, before looking to see what else was on.

"Winter Wrap up! Winter Wrap up! Let's finish our holiday cheer!" The My Little Pony cast sang.

"Make it stop!" Big Dipper yelled, then changed the channel.

"Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!" The Peanuts gang cheered.

"Aw man it's almost over!" Charlie whined. So we looked to see what was on the next channel.

"There are two kinds of people in this world that sit around thinking about how to kill people. Psychopaths and mystery writers." Rick Castle said on TV.

"You guys want to watch something else don't you?" I asked every one, and they all nodded.

(X Flies Theme plays.) "It's a little late to watch X Files." Jink explained, before moving to the next channel.

"You'll shoot your eye out!" The people on A Christmas story taunted.

"Finally! A good Christmas movie!" Amelia announced.

"Come on guys let's get to work." Rose told us."

"Okay Rose." Every one else said simultaneously.

"I could wear this cape." Cricket suggested, while holding up a black cape.

"That will work perfectly." I told Cricket.

"How about this for the ghost of Christmas Past?" Lucky suggested, while holding up a pink Reindeer sweater.

"If it fits of course you can wear it." I told Lucky, while carefully helping her put the sweater on.

"It fits perfectly." Lucky giggled.

"Well good Lucky." I replied.

"I like this for the Ghost of Christmas Present." Charlie told me, while holding up a red sweater with a Christmas Tree on it, and a bright green bow.

"That is absolutely perfect! Good job Charlie." I told Charlie.

"Thanks Maximus." Charlie replied.

"You're welcome Charlie." I told Charlie.

"I found just the thing for you Maximus. It's a black hooded cape, and a black scarf, and a black sweater. It will go great with your goggles." Arlene told me.

"Nice job Arlene." I told Arlene.

"Thanks Maximus." Arlene replied.

"You're welcome." I told Arlene. So I tried on the clothes, and scared the living daylights out of Lucky.

"Take it off!" Lucky yelped.

"It's okay Lucky." I told Lucky.

"I found the flour Maximus." Big Dipper told me.

"Thanks Big Dipper. I guess we're all set." I replied.

Author's note: Sorry it took so long. I'll post earlier tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6: Brundun's first visitor.

Maximus's point of view.

Around 10:00 PM, we got Cricket ready for his role. "Maximus, Are you sure this will work? What he knows it's just me covered in flour?" Cricket asked me nervously.

"Of course it will work Cricket. Just be brave and have no doubt. You're going to do fine." I told Cricket, while trying to cover him in flour.

"I'm so nervous." Cricket told me, before sneezing.

"Bless you." Lucky told Cricket.

"Thanks Lucky." Cricket told Lucky.

"You're welcome." Lucky replied.

"I think we're about done. You pull this look off incredibly Cricket." Arlene told Cricket.

"Oh, thanks Arlene." Cricket replied.

"You're welcome Cricket." Arlene replied.

"Okay so here's the plan: you'll go in through the door that goes from the yard to Brundun's cage. You do your thing, and tell him the first ghost will visit him at 12:00 AM. Next, tell him the second one will arrive at 2:00 AM. Finally, tell him the last ghost will visit him at 4:00 AM. Then you exit through the same door. Do you understand?" I asked Cricket.

"I can do that." Cricket replied.

"Alright it's 10:30, time for you to go visit Brundun Cricket." Charlie told Cricket.

"Wish me luck guys." Cricket told us.

"Good luck." Every one said simultaneously. So Cricket snuck into Brundun's cage. Brundun was dead asleep and not likely to wake up any time soon.

Cricket's point of view.

(Cricket taps Brundun on the shoulder, and nothing happens. "That's odd." Cricket mumbled. (Cricket let's out a ghostly moan, and scares the living daylights out of Brundun.)

"What are you?" Brundun asked me nervously.

"Shouldn't you be asking who I was?" I asked Brundun.

"Okay that's fair enough. Who were you then?" Brundun asked me.

"I was your old friend Cricket." I told Brundun.

"That's impossible! Cricket is only a few cages away." Brundun replied.

"I am Cricket from 12 years into the future. You and I have been dead for some time now." I told Brundun. "Oh my goodness I hope he believes all this." I thought.

"Oh old friend Cricket! I've taken you for granted." Brundun told me.

"As much as I would love to catch up on old times, I'm simply here to give you a message." I told Brundun.

"What is it Cricket?" Brundun asked me.

"Tonight you will be visited by three more ghosts." I told Brundun.

"But why? I've done nothing wrong." Brundun replied.

"During these last couple of months you've become bitter and have pushed away all of the people that care about you. We just want you to be happy and find a new home." I told Brundun.

"Do I have to be visited by ghosts?" Brundun asked me.

"It's the only way Brundun. The first ghost will be here at 12:00 AM on the dot. The second ghost will be here at 2:00 AM. The final ghost will arrive at 4:00 AM." I explained to Brundun.

"Do you have to leave?" Brundun asked me.

"I am afraid so. Remember that the first ghost will be here when the clock strikes 12." I told Brundun before leaving.

Maximus's point of view.

Roughly 20 minutes after Cricket went into Brundun's cage he came back. "Well, how did it go?" Jink asked Cricket.

"Better than I expected." Cricket replied.

"Did he believe the whole ghost thing?" Scooter asked me.

"Surprisingly yes." Cricket replied.

"Good job Cricket. You can shake that flour off now if you want to." I told Cricket.

"Thanks Maximus, it itches like crazy." Cricket told me, while taking off the cape.

"You're welcome Cricket. Well Lucky, we have an hour and ten minutes to get you ready." I told Lucky.

"Okay Maximus. Good job Cricket." Lucky told Cricket.

"Thanks Lucky, good luck." Cricket told Lucky.

"Thanks Cricket." Lucky replied.

Author's note: Looks like we got to the actual Christmas Carol part today. I'll answer reviews tomorrow I promise.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Ghost of Christmas past.

Maximus's point of view.

An hour or so later, I got Lucky ready for her visit. "You'll do great Lucky." I told Lucky.

"You really think so?" Lucky asked me excitedly.

"I know so, Lucky. If any one can cheer Brundun up it's you." I told Lucky, while pouring flour on her.

"I really hope so. I've been in the pound for most of my life, and I've known Brundun since the day they brought me in." Lucky explained.

"How old are you Lucky?" I asked Lucky.

"I'm three months old. I'm just very small for my age." Lucky replied.

"That means you're a month younger than me." I told Lucky.

"Cool!" Lucky replied. A moment later, Arlene brought Lucky her sweater.

"Here's your sweater Lucky." Arlene told Lucky.

"Thanks Arlene." Lucky replied.

"You're welcome. Do you need any help?" Arlene asked me.

"Can you help me put the sweater on Lucky?" I asked Arlene.

"Sure Maximus." Arlene replied. So we put the sweater on Lucky.

"You look adorable! I wish I could give you a big hug." Arlene told Lucky.

"You can after I get back." Lucky replied.

"Alright Lucky." Arlene told Lucky.

"Alright it's 11:58, time to get ready Lucky." I told Lucky.

"Okay Maximus." Lucky replied.

"It's your time to shine Lucky. Good luck kid." I told Lucky.

"Thanks Maximus." Lucky replied.

"You're welcome Lucky." I told Lucky, before she entered Brundun's cage.

Lucky's point of view.

At precisely 12:00 AM, I entered Brundun's cage. "Mr. Brundun, will you wake up please?" I asked Brundun, and he continued sleeping. (Lucky makes ghost noises, and Brundun doesn't wake up.) "What do I do now?" I thought nervously.

(Maximus howls loudly outside the cage and Brundun wakes up.) "Thank you Maximus!" I thought happily.

"Who are you?" Brundun asked me nervously.

"I am the Ghost of Christmas Past." I told Brundun, before throwing a ghostly "oooooo' in to make it more convincing.

"So you're going to show me my past?" Brundun asked me.

"That's the plan yes." I told Brundun. So we went to Christmas eve, 2003.

"Hey I know this place! I was born here." Brundun explained.

"That must be your family." I told Brundun while pointing to a German Shepherd mother, next to her was a Rottweiller father. Next I saw four cute little puppies.

"It's mom and dad, I haven't seen them in eight years. I would give the world just to hear my mom's voice." Brundun sighed.

"Brundun, come here sweetie." Brundun's mom said lovingly, and a tiny puppy version of Brundun ran up to her.

"I wish I could, mom." Brundun sighed.

"What about your siblings? Do you miss them too?" I asked Brundun.

"I miss them so much. I miss my older sister Janey the most. I miss my little brother Stanley, and my little sister Annabelle as well. I wish I could spend Christmas with them." Brundun told me.

Our next stop was Christmas eve, 2004. "Do you remember this place?" I asked Brundun.

"This was my first real home. That's my former owner Nathan." Brundun told me, while pointing to his former owner.

"And that little ball of energy must be you." I told Brundun, while pointing to a dog chasing after a ball.

"Yep, that's me. I was so happy back then. I had every thing a dog could want: a loving owner, a nice home, and food." Brundun explained.

"What happened?" I asked Brundun.

"My owner got married, and his wife was deathly allergic to dogs. So I wound up in the pound." Brundun replied.

"I'm so sorry Brundun." I told Brundun. Our second to last stop was Christmas Day, 2008.

"Oh no, this is the Christmas I spent in the pound. I had been living on the streets for about a year." Brundun told me.

"Must have been a hard year." I replied.

"It was. I thought I'd never find a home at that point. This was the day I was adopted by my last family. I lived with them for almost three years." Brundun explained.

"Mom I want this one!" A little boy told his mom, while looking at a younger version of Brundun.

"He looks like a good dog, we'll take him." The mom replied.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" The younger version of Brundun barked.

"They were my favorite family. I could never replace them." Brundun told me.

"I know it's hard to let go." I replied. Finally we made it to Christmas Day, 2010, which was our last stop.

"Here we are at last Christmas. You look so happy here Brundun." I told Brundun.

"This was the day I met Cricket. We've grown apart, and I haven't properly talked to him in a long time." Brundun explained.

"It's never to late to mend your relationship." I told Brundun.

"You're right little ghost. Tomorrow, well I guess it would be today since it's after 12:00 AM, I'll go talk to him." Brundun replied.

"That's the spirit Brundun." I told Brundun.

"Brundun! Will you play with me?" The puppy version of Cricket asked Brundun.

"Sure kid. I'm glad they decided to adopt you, I was getting kinda lonely." The other Brundun told Cricket. Soon we were back to the present time.

"I'm afraid my time with you is up. It is now 12:40 AM. The next ghost will be here in an hour and twenty minutes." I told Brundun.

"Thanks for every thing little ghost. I wish there was something I could do for you." Brundun replied.

"Just keep smiling. Smiling makes every thing better." I told Brundun. So I went back outside.

"How did it go Lucky?" Maximus asked me.

"It went great! Poor Brundun has had a rough life. I wish I could do more to help him." I told Maximus.

"Poor guy. I think you really helped him Lucky." Maximus told me.

"Thanks Maximus. Oh and thanks for backing me up earlier, I'm not very loud." I replied.

"You're welcome Lucky." Maximus told me.

"Well I guess I have an hour and 15 minutes to get ready." Charlie told Maximus, as Maximus helped me take my sweater off.

"I've got you covered Charlie. I have all of your stuff right here." Arlene told Charlie.

"Thanks sis." Charlie replied.

"You're welcome Charlie." Arlene giggled.

"I almost forgot that I promised you a hug Arlene. Thanks for everything Arlene. You're the big sister I never had." I told Arlene.

"You're welcome Lucky, you're like a little sister to me too." Arlene chuckled.

Author's note: One ghost down, two to go. Thanks to Mike 101 and Autobot Lancewing Beta 06 for reviewing. Now to answer a couple reviews.

Mike 101: I've decided that Star will probably be the one to make him confess. Thanks for reviewing!

Autobot Lancewing Beta 06: Oh Bullet will get punished. Nothing too brutal though. Melody actually got her name from Doctor Who. She was named after Melody Pond. (River Song if you want to get technical.) This story will be done on Christmas Day. Yeah I almost put the burp in but couldn't decide who would burp.

Charlie: Probably Big Dipper. He hates Winter Wrap up with a passion. I personally like it.

Be nice Charlie. Had no idea that they hid a My little pony toy in Transformers, I need to rewatch the first one. Thanks for reviewing!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Charlie as the ghost of Christmas present.

Maximus's point of view.

About 20 minutes until 2:00 AM, we started getting Charlie ready for her visit with Brundun. "That bow matches your eyes perfectly Charlie." Arlene told me.

"Thanks, I guess." Charlie replied.

"You're welcome." Arlene replied.

"Can you hold still for a minute Charlie?" I asked Charlie, while trying to cover her in flour.

"Sorry Maximus, I guess I'm just excited." Charlie told me.

"It's alright Charlie. I know you'll do great." I told Charlie.

"Thanks Maximus." Charlie replied.

"You're welcome Charlie. Be careful in there." I told Charlie.

"I will Maximus." I replied, while Jackie put my sweater and bow on me.

"There you go Charlie. You look adorable." Jackie told Charlie.

"Thanks Jackie." Charlie replied.

Charlie's point of view.

At 4 minutes till two, I got ready to enter Brundun's cage. "Are you about ready Charlie?" Amelia asked me.

"Yep, I can't wait Amelia!" I replied.

"Good luck kid." Big Dipper told me.

"Thanks Big Dipper." I told Big Dipper.

"You're welcome Charlie." Big Dipper replied.

"It's almost 2:00 AM Charlie, get ready kid." Maximus told me.

"Okey dokey lokey!" I replied, while walking over to the door of Brundun's cage. At 2:00 AM on the dot I entered Brundun's cage.

"Little ghost is that you?" Brundun asked me nervously.

"Who are you calling little? I'm the Ghost of Christmas present." I told Brundun, while trying to size him up.

"Oh sorry not little Ghost. I thought the little bitty ghost had come back. She was the Ghost of Christmas Past." Brundun explained.

"Yes, the Ghost of Christmas Past is nicer than most of the ghosts I know. Better than my sister The Ghost of Christmas fashion." I told Brundun jokingly. I swear I heard Arlene say "hey!" quietly, then Maximus shushed her.

"So you're here to show me this Christmas?" Brundun asked me.

"That's my job! They don't call me The Ghost of Christmas Present for nothing." I told Brundun. So I took him to Christmas Day, 2011.

"Did we go some where? It still looks like we're at the pound." Brundun explained.

"This is Christmas Day 2011, this is where you're spending Christmas." I told Brundun.

"Where's every one else?" Brundun asked me.

"They've been adopted. There is one dog left that was picked up on Christmas Eve." I told Brundun, while gesturing to a female German Shepherd Rottweiller mix. She looked like Brundun, but with straight ears.

"It's my sister Janey! Why does she look so sad?" Brundun asked me.

"She doesn't know that you're in the pound too. She misses you so much Brundun." I told Brundun. So I took him to see Maximus and Lucky.

"Hey it's the new guy, and that little kitten Lucky. Why is her leg in a splint?" Brundun asked me.

"Her front leg is very weak, and she needs surgery. With out the surgery, she will lose her leg." I told Brundun.

"What? No! She's such a good kitten, she doesn't deserve to lose her leg." Brundun cried.

"I know it's sad, but it's true." I told Brundun.

"What about the others?" Brundun asked me.

"Maximus made it home to his owner Penny. Lucky was adopted by Penny's friend Lillian. Cricket, Jink, and Scooter were all adopted by a family with three kids. Amelia was adopted by a photographer. Charlie was adopted a by a boy named Randy. Arlene was adopted by a nice young fashion designer named Merry." I explained.

"Big Dipper was adopted by a young boy named Dishon. Rose was adopted by a farmer. Jackie was adopted by a newly-wed couple. You could have gotten adopted too Brundun, but you were too scared to be hurt again." I told Brundun.

"I'm willing to move on, but I'm so scared." Brundun replied.

"You can do it Brundun! Believe in yourself!" I told Brundun.

"Thank you, scruffy little ghost. I've learned a lot from you." Brundun told me, after we returned home.

"You're welcome Brundun. I'm afraid I must leave now. It is now 2:40 AM, you have an hour and twenty minutes until the last ghost arrives. Good bye Brundun." I told Brundun, before leaving.

So I returned to the dog /cat run. "How did it go?" Maximus asked me.

"It went good. He's frightened by what this Christmas looks like." I told Maximus.

"Well there's still time for it to change." Maximus replied.

"That's true Maximus I replied.

"The Ghost of Christmas fashion? Really Charlie?" Arlene asked me.

"It was a joke Arlene." I replied.

"Well I guess we better get you ready Maximus." Arlene told Maximus.

"Alright Arlene." Maximus replied.

Author's note: One ghost left. Now to answer a review.

Mike 101: I figure the sweaters and stuff were donated. The flour was left over from treats. Not sure about the time travel. Thanks for reviewing.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: You look at them, and you finally start to live for some one else

Maximus's point of view.

So, the girls (plus Jink and Scooter.) helped me get ready. "Now it's your turn to sit still." Charlie told me.

"Yes, I understand why you had such a hard time sitting still." I replied, while Charlie and Jink covered me in flour.

"And you get the hard role. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to come has to go to the future." Jink replied.

"Are you scared at all?" Lucky asked me.

"A little bit. But every thing's going to be okay." I told Lucky.

"Just be careful Maximus." Lucky told me.

"I will Lucky, I promise." I replied.

"Here's your sweater Maximus." Rose told me.

"Thanks Rose." I replied.

"You're welcome Maximus." Rose replied, while putting the sweater on me.

"Now time to put on your cape." Amelia told me.

"Okay Amelia." I replied.

"There you go. You look great Maximus." Amelia told me, after putting my cape on me.

"Thanks Amelia." I replied.

"Alright, just put your goggles and scarf on and you'll be ready." Arlene told me.

"Thanks Arlene. You've been a big help." I replied.

"You're welcome Maximus, you're one of the most polite dogs I know." Arlene explained.

"Thanks, you're one of the most polite cats I know." I told Arlene.

"You are too kind Maximus." Arlene chuckled.

"I hate to interrupt, but Maximus has two minutes until he goes to visit Brundun." Charlie told us.

"Oh my goodness! Sorry Charlie." I told Charlie, while running to the door of Brundun's cage.

"Good luck!" Lucky told me.

"Thanks Lucky." I told Lucky.

"You're welcome Maximus." Lucky told me, right before I went into Brundun's cage.

"Who goes there?" Brundun asked me.

"It is I, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come." I announced.

"You must be here to show me my future." Brundun replied.

"That is in my job description." I told Brundun, before transporting him four years into the future.

"Why are we still in the pound?" Brundun asked me.

"This is your future. You've had ten homes by now. Now it's Christmas day, 2015, and you're starting to slow down a little bit." I told Brundun.

"What about the little kitten Lucky? Where is she?" Brundun asked me. So, I took Brundun to see Lucky.

"Come here Lucky!" Lillian told Lucky, and a three legged adult Orange Tabby ran over to her.

"Hi Lillian! I'm so glad you're home." The adult version of Lucky told Lillian.

"What? Lucky lost her leg?" Brundun asked me, and I nodded.

"Her leg was too weak to be fixed. They amputated it when she was four months old. Lucky's a brave little kitten, she never complains." I told Brundun.

"I wish I could do something for her." Brundun sighed.

"She wants a family more than any thing. If you treated her like family, it would mean the world to her." I told Brundun . So I took Brundun to visit: Jink, Cricket, and Scooter next.

"Hey that's Cricket, and the Husky twins Scooter and Jink. Who are the puppies?" Brundun asked me.

"The little Grey one is Cricket's son Brundun. The scruffy little girl is Scooter's daughter Bailey. The youngest pup is Jink's son Buzz." I told Brundun.

"Cricket named his son after me! I have to make amends with him in the morning." Brundun told me. Next stop was my house.

"This is my house. I still live with my owner Penny." I told Brundun.

"Hey Maximus! Do you want a treat boy?" An adult version of penny asked the grown up version of me.

"Of course!" The older version of me barked excitedly, and Penny tossed me a treat. A tiny puppy that looked like me, but with one floppy ear, barked too.

"Okay Scamp, you can have a treat too." Penny chuckled, before tossing Scamp a treat.

Next stop was Amelia's home. "Here's Amelia, she sure looks happy." I told Brundun. Amelia was posing in front of a Christmas tree, while wearing reindeer antlers.

"I wish I had a home too." Brundun sighed. Next, we visited Charlie, who had moved to Canada.

"Hey Charlie, do you want to go sledding?" Charlie's owner Randy asked her.

"Do dogs like to chase cars? Of course I want to go sledding." Charlie meowed happily.

"Looks like Charlie's happy with her owner. What about her sister Arlene?" Brundun asked me. So we went to visit Arlene.

"This looks like the same place. What's wrong?" Brundun asked me.

"Arlene's owner married Charlie's owner's brother. They're spending Christmas with his family, including Charlie's owner Randy." I told Brundun.

"Arlene was the inspiration for my new line of pet sweaters. She is the best cat on Earth." Arlene's owner explained.

"Sure beats the pound." Arlene purred. Next stop was Big Dipper's house.

"Is that Big Dipper? He looks skinnier." Brundun explained

"He was adopted by a family of vegans. He's been eating vegetarian dog food." I told Brundun. Our next to last stop was at Rose's farm.

"Let's round up the sheep Rose." Rose's owner told her.

"Okay Leonard." Rose barked happily.

"Rose looks like she couldn't be happier." Brundun told me.

"This is what she's always wanted." I replied. Our last stop was at Jackie's house.

"Here kitty!" A toddler yelled.

"Oh no! Not again!" Jackie yelped.

"Who's the toddler?" Brundun asked me.

"That's Jackie's owners' son Thomas. He doesn't know about the proper treatment of cats yet." I told Brundun.

"Poor Jackie. That's the last straw! I know what I've got to do! I've got to be nicer to every one and get adopted before Christmas! Thank you Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come!" Brundun told us, as we got back to the present time.

"You're welcome Brundun. I wish I could stay longer, but I must get going." I told Brundun.

"Thanks for everything! Thank your friends for me." Brundun replied.

"Thanks, I'll be sure to tell them. Merry Christmas!" I told Brundun.

"Merry Christmas!" Brundun replied. At precisely 5:00 AM, I stepped out into the dog run, with the knowledge that I had just helped Brundun find meaning in his life.

"So how did it go?" Lucky asked me.

"It was a success! Brundun had a change of heart." I told every one.

"It's a miracle!" Jink Cheered.

"We owe it all to you Maximus." Charlie told me.

"Hey I couldn't have done it with out you guys." I replied, while hugging Lucky.

"You're our hero Maximus!" Lucky told me.

"Thanks Lucky." I replied.

"You're welcome Lucky." Lucky giggled.

"Look guys! A shooting star!" Arlene told us, and we all made our own wishes. I wished that we would all get a home for the holidays. (Maximus sighs.)

"Hey Maximus, what's wrong?" Scooter asked me.

"It's nothing really." I told Scooter.

"Really Maximus, what's wrong?" Lucky asked me.

"It's just, I'm so home sick. I've never been away from home for this long." I told every one.

"It's okay Maximus, we're all here for you. We can all spend Christmas together." Lucky told me.

"We're like a family." Charlie replied.

"Thanks guys. I guess we all better go to bed. It's after 5:00 AM, we don't want to be tired on Christmas Eve." I told every one.

Author's note: Looks like they did it! Merry Christmas Eve Eve! I'll answer reviews tomorrow.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Twas the day before Christmas.

Maximus's point of view.

I woke up on Christmas Eve morning with Lucky curled up next to me. "Sleep tight Lucky, you earned it." I thought. So I went out to the dog run for some fresh air.

"Good morning Maximus. Heard every thing went great last night." Big Dipper told me.

"Yeah it was a big success. Thanks for your help Big Dipper." I replied. A moment later, Brundun joined us.

"Good morning guys." Brundun told us. He looked like a little kid who was just told that he was going to Disney World.

"Good morning Brundun." I replied.

"You guys will never guess what happened last night." Brundun told us.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Last night I was visited by three ghosts. Well four, Cricket's ghost from twelve years into the future visited me." Brundun told us.

"Really? What were they like?" I asked Brundun.

"Well like I said, Cricket was the first one. The second one was a little bitty tabby kitten, she was The Ghost of Christmas Past. The second one was a scruffy Calico kitten, her name was The Ghost of Christmas Future. The last one I couldn't see very well cause he was wearing all black. his name was The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come." Brundun explained.

"That's very interesting." Big Dipper replied. A moment later, Charlie and Lucky came out of their cages.

"Merry Christmas Eve guys." Charlie told us.

"Merry Christmas Eve Charlie." We all told Charlie.

"Merry Christmas Eve every one." Lucky told us.

"Lucky! You're okay!" Brundun cheered, while hugging.

"Yes I'm doing fine. How are you?" Lucky asked Brundun.

"I'm great! I went to the future, and you had lost your leg! I'm so glad you're okay." Brundun explained.

Meanwhile at the front desk, some one came to adopt some pets. "You want to adopt all of the animals?" The lady at the front desk asked the young man.

"Yes, including the German Shepherd Mix girl that was just brought in." The young man replied

"How did you know about her?" The lady asked him.

"I'm an Elf, I work for Santa." The young man replied.

"Yeah and I'm the Tooth Fairy." The lady replied sarcastically.

"It's nice to finally meet you Tooth Fairy. Will this cover the adoption costs?" The young man asked the lady, while hading her a check for $10,000.

"That's more than enough." The lady replied.

"You can keep the change." The young man replied.

"Thank you mister Elf." The lady told the young man.

"You're welcome, and call me Buddy." Buddy replied.

"Merry Christmas Eve Buddy." The lady replied.

"Thanks, Tooth Fairy. Come on guys." Buddy told his team of twelve elves. So the elves came into the room we were all in.

"There's a whole crowd of people." Arlene told us.

"Oh I hope I get adopted." Big Dipper replied. Suddenly an Elf came over to Jackie's cage.

"Hello Jackie, I'm Kate." Kate the Elf told Jackie.

"How do you know my name?" Jackie asked Kate.

"I'm an elf, I know all of your names." Kate replied, as she picked up Jackie. Brundun's sister Janey was the next to be taken out of a cage.

"Hello Janey, I'm Belle." Belle told Janey, and she smiled a little bit.

Cricket was the next one to be set free. "Hello Cricket, I'm Cris." Cris told Cricket.

"Hello Cris." Cricket barked. One of the elves walked over to Brundun's cage.

"Hello Brundun, my name is Nathan." Nathan told Brundun.

"Hello Nathan, thanks for adopting me." Brundun replied.

"I'm just one of Santa's elves. We have a special home for you and your sister." Nathan told Brundun.

"Thank you Nathan." Brundun barked.

"Wait, how can you understand us?" Rose asked, as an Elf named Crystal got her out of her cage.

"It's part of being an Elf." Chrystal replied.

"Hello Jink and Scooter, I'm Eddie and this is my brother Chase." Eddie told Jink and Scooter.

"You're twins just like us!" Jink cheered.

"Yep, we're the only twin elves." Chase replied.

"Hello Big Dipper, I'm Cookie." Cookie told Big Dipper.

"I like Cookies." Big Dipper yipped.

"Hello Charlie and Arlene, I'm Olivia and this is my best friend Shirley." Olivia told the Calico twins.

"Nice to meet you." Charlie and Arlene said simultaneously.

"Hello Amelia, I'm Robbin." Robbin told Amelia.

"It's very nice to meet you." Amelia replied. Finally, two Elves came for me and Lucky.

"Hey Maximus, I hear you're one special puppy. I want to thank you for looking out for Lucky, her mother died when she was very young." Buddy told me.

"I'm very lucky to have her for a friend." I told Buddy, as he put a leash on me.

"Come here Lucky, I won't hurt you. My name's Lucy." Lucy told Lucky.

"It's nice to meet you Lucy." Lucky replied. So, The Elves took us outside.

"No way! We get to ride in Santa's Sleigh?" Charlie asked Buddy.

"Surprise!" Buddy replied. About five minutes later, we had loaded up the sled.

"Enjoy an in flight snack." Cookie told us. We ate the snacks, and with in five minutes we were asleep.

Star's point of view.

At 12:00 PM, I went to confront Bullet. "Oh hi Star." Bullet said, he sounded like he was talking to the most repulsive person alive. So I grabbed Bullet by the collar and pinned him to a trash can.

"Where is he, you no good rotten scumbag?" I asked Bullet in a growl.

"Who?" Bullet asked me.

"My brother Maximus. Don't give me any lies." I growled.

"That little brat? He's at one of those pounds. You'll never find him." Bullet hissed.

"I will find him Bullet, and when I get back over here I'll make you sorry." I growled.

"Yeah like that will ever happen." bullet replied, as I left.

Maximus's point of view.

When we woke up, it was roughly 12:00 AM."Hello Maximus, I've heard so many good things about you." Santa told me.

"You have?" I asked Santa.

"I heard that you are the nicest, most loyal puppy on earth." Santa told me.

"Who said that?" I asked Santa.

"Your owner Penny, she misses you so much. Whoa boys! We're stopping here." Santa told the reindeer, before stopping on a snow covered roof.

"Who's home is this?" I asked Santa.

"Rick Eames, he owns a sled team and delivers the mail in Alaska. Perfect home for: Cricket, Jink and Scooter. You guys can say goodbye first." Santa told the Huskies, while putting name tags on their collars.

"Good bye Maximus, thanks for everything. I hope you make it home to your owner Penny." Jink told me.

"Hope you all find good homes." Cricket added.

"We'll miss all of you. Merry Christmas Eve!" Scooter told us.

"Merry Christmas!" We all said together. So Santa took the Huskies down the chimney and into the the living room.

Next, we dropped off Rose. "Here's your new home Rose. Your new owner is a nice young man named Tom." Santa told Rose, while giving her a new bandanna collar with tags.

"Thanks Santa! Bye guys! I'm going to miss you all." Rose told us.

"Good bye Rose! Merry Christmas!" We all cheered. Santa took Rose inside and came out a few minutes later. The next stop was Charlie and Arlene's new home.

"Here's your new home Charlie and Arlene. Your owners are Peter and Karen, they're twelve years old and they're twins just like you." Santa told Charlie and Arlene, as he put their name tags on their collars..

"Thanks Santa! Bye guys!" Charlie told us.

"Merry Christmas." Arlene added.

"Bye guys! Merry Christmas Charlie and Arlene!" Every one said. So, Charlie and Arlene went into their new house. Next stop was at a nice little farm house, which was Big Dipper's new home.

"This is your new home Big Dipper. Your owners are Ryan and Stacy, and they own a nice little bakery." Santa told Big Dipper, while putting his name tag on his collar.

"Thanks Santa. Bye guys! Hope you all have a nice Christmas!" Big Dipper told us.

"Bye Big Dipper! Merry Christmas!" We all cheered, as Santa took Big Dipper into his new home. The next stop was Brundun and Janey's new home.

"Brundun and Janey, your owners are newly wed cops who want to work in the K9 Unit. Their names are Susie and Jim. I hope you all like it here." Santa told Brundun and Janey, before putting their name tags on.

"Thanks Santa! This is just what I wanted for Christmas!" Brundun told Santa.

"You're welcome Brundun." Santa replied.

"Bye guys! It was nice meeting all of you." Janey told us.

"By Janey and Brundun! Merry Christmas!" We all told Brundun and Janey. After Brundun and Janey were settled in, we took Amelia to her new home.

"Amelia I found the perfect home for you. Alex is a person that trains animals for movies. He's been looking for a new dog for a long time." Santa told Amelia, while putting her tags on her collar.

"Thank you so much Santa! This is what I've been dreaming of! Merry Christmas every one!" Amelia told us.

"Merry Christmas Amelia!" We all replied. Our next stop was Jackie's house.

"Jackie, your new owner is a young girl name Lizzie. She loves cats and has wanted one for a long time. I know you'll like her." Santa explained, while clipping a name tag to her collar.

"Oh thank you so much! Good bye Maximus and Lucky!" Jackie told us.

"Good bye Jackie! Merry Christmas!" We told Jackie. Our second to last stop was at a very familiar looking house.

"Hey I know this place! It's Lillian's house! Lucky this must be your new home." I told Lucky.

"Really?" Lucky asked me excitedly.

"It's true. Lillian has wanted her own kitten for a long time. I knew that you'd be perfect for her." Santa replied, while giving Lucky her own name tag.

"Thank you so much!" Lucky told Santa.

"You're welcome." Santa told Lucky. So we took Lucky inside and got her settled in.

"Thanks for every thing Maximus! You're like the big brother I never had." Lucky told me.

"You're welcome Lucky. You're like the baby sister I never had." I told Lucky, as I gave her a hug.

"Come along Maximus, we still have to take you home." Santa told me.

"Bye Maximus!" Lucky told me.

"Bye Lucky. I might see you in the morning at Penny's house." I replied.

"See ya!" Lucky replied, as Santa and I left. Moments later, we got into the sled.

"What's wrong Maximus?" Santa asked me.

"I'm so homesick. All I want for Christmas is to go home." I told Santa.

"We're at Penny's house now. Come on Maximus, I'll take you inside." Santa told me. So Santa took me inside, gently put me on the couch, then filled all of the stockings. I was sound asleep before he left.

"Merry Christmas Maximus." Santa whispered.

Author's note: Merry Christmas Eve every one! Now to answer a couple reviews.

Mike 101: Glad you enjoyed chapter 9. I try to be that polite. Thanks for reviewing.

Lance Wing: Merry Christmas Eve.

Lucky: Never a dull moment eh guys.

Cheese touch, I know that's from Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Great movie. Yeah Jackie and Lucky had it rough. I don't think I've ever seen a three legged cat, but I've seen a couple three legged dogs on TV.

Bullet: Wait he's coming home?

Yes Bullet he is. Thanks for reviewing!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: I got my Christmas Miracle!

Maximus's point of view.

I was woken up at 9:00 AM on the dot, by the jingle of the bells on Star's collar. "Come on guys! Maximus you're home!" Star yelled, as she ran over to give me the biggest hug I've received in my entire life.

"Hey Star! I've missed you!" I told Star.

"Star we're coming. Maximus! You're home!" My mother cheered, while joining us.

"Hey mom! I missed you so much!" I told mom. I nearly started crying when I saw her.

"My little Maximus has come home." My mother cried.

"I had to come home! I missed you guys more than anything!" I told mom.

"Maximus! I've been so worried about you! Where have you been?" My dad asked me.

"I was in the pound. Bullet set me up. Santa brought me home, and I've been on this incredible adventure." I told dad.

"I want to hear all about it Maximus. I think I hear Penny though." Dad told me. Penny came into the room and started crying when she saw me.

"Maximus! You came back!" Penny cried.

"Oh Penny I've missed you so much!" I barked.

So, we opened presents. "This one says "To Maximus, from Santa." My mom explained. I opened the package and inside was a pair of reindeer antlers. Next to it was a note that said "Merry Christmas to my favorite helper."

"It's reindeer antlers!" I told every one. Seconds later, Max, Lillian, and Lucky came in through the front door.

"Lillian! You got a kitten!" Penny exclaimed, and Lillian nodded excitedly.

"Her name is Lucky, Santa brought her to me." Lillian explained.

"Oh look at her leg. You know my dad is a brilliant veterinarian and scientist, he would be glad to fix her up." Penny explained.

"Do you think he could?" Lillian asked Penny.

"I know he'd be glad to." Penny told Lillian. So Lucky joined me.

"Merry Christmas Lucky. How do you like Lillian?" I asked Lucky.

"She's so nice! She loves me so much, and I couldn't possibly be happier." lucky replied.

"I'm so happy for you." I told Lucky.

"Maximus you came back! Santa must have brought you too." Lillian told me.

"Actually he did." I thought. Later on, Star and I went to visit Bullet.

"Hey Maxi-Crash! Looks like you got out of the pound." Bullet taunted.

"Yeah, no thanks to you." I growled.

"Bullet, I got you something." Star told Bullet, before punching him incredibly hard in the nose. "It was a knuckle sandwich." Star chuckled.

"Thanks Star." I told Star as we walked home.

"You're welcome. He had no right to talk to you like that." Star replied. Moments later, Melody joined us.

"Hey Maximus, I brought your collar back." Melody told me.

"How did you get it back from Bullet?" I asked Melody.

"He never had it. I gave him a decoy red collar with your name tag on it." Melody explained.

"We knew he was going to cheat. So Melody and I teamed up to trick him into thinking he had the real thing." Star told me.

"You guys are the best! Thank you both so much." I told Star and Melody.

"You're welcome." Star and Melody replied.

So, life went back to normal. Lucky got her leg fixed and is recovering well. Brundun and Janey are training for the K9 unit. Cricket, Jink and Scooter are training with their new owner's sled team for the Iditarod.

Rose has won every agility competition she's entered. Jackie is enjoying her new life with her owner. Charlie is still as hyperactive as ever and Arlene has become a dignified hose cat. Big Dipper has become the spokes-dog for his owners' bakery. Amelia is currently training for a very important role in an upcoming movie.

I continued my life as Penny's dog and I plan to stay with her for the rest of my life. I wish every one a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

The end.

Author's note: Merry Christmas every one! Hope every one had a great Christmas. I will answer reviews in the author's note of the next chapter of Sorcerer's Apprentice.


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